Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2Tim. 2:22-23

There is one lust we often overlook.

The desire to get our own way. Nestled in the pride of life and masked, it is stubbornness and rebellion hidden in some proverb or platitude.

Might have been a parent or teacher, but someone told us to do something we did not want to do.

The first time we said “no” or “I won’t” and found out that this doesn’t work.

Obvious rebellion is always punished.

Desire to evade responsibility is a delight to a child

To be told to do something that is onerous and difficult leads us to procrastinate and rationalize.

Obvious disrespect and outright rebellion failed.

So we fell back on a secondary rebellion that was not obvious enough to be detected.

Willful misunderstanding is still rebellion, but it is easier to defend and get away with.

With human authority, we often did much less than we could and pushed further than we should, but still were respectful because we were cunning and subtle. We learned how to get our way.

As mature we finally begin to understand. Success and prosperity are the possessions of those who do not evade responsibility. Parents weren’t trying to make our lives difficult. They knew self-discipline leads to success and rebellion to failure and shame

The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. Pr. 29:15

A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother. Pr. 10:1

A wise son heeds his father's instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Pr. 13:1

None of us came through this unscathed.

All successful rebellion is now our curse to flee.

There are so many creative ways to rebel. We need to ferret ours out so we can see them:Conniving SincereLying or and holding back some truth all liarsRationalizing and procrastinating … with all thy mightDoing less or not as thoroughDoing what we wanted and pretending igorance

All things are naked and laid open with God.

“The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat,”

“the woman you gave me” Gen. 3:13

Aaron told Moses “I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out” Ex 32:24

I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. 1Sam 13:12

“I utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, 1Sam 15:20-21

All attempts to evade responsibility only reveal our lack of zeal and faith.

The parables of the talents and pounds reveal this clearly.

While the man sought to blame God for being too harsh, God stripped it away.

I knew that you were hard (couldn’t be pleased.

“Why didn’t you give it to the bankers for interest.”

We are a vessel of gold and silver if we can ferret out all our rationalizations of youthful lusts.

We are a vessel of wood or clay if we still do it.

We are vessel for honor when we set aside all our youthful folly and rebellion and do God’s Will.

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; 2Tim. 2:20-22

We are a vessel of gold and silver if we can ferret out all our rationalizations of youthful lusts.

We are a vessel of wood or clay if we still do it.

We are vessel for honor when we set aside all our youthful folly and rebellion and do God’s Will.

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; 2Tim. 2:20-22

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. 2 Tim 2:15-17

This is exactly the point! Those who lived before us who heeded the profane babblings were those who used their own youthful lusts to evade commands and do what they wanted.

If we can’t leave that behind, we will be vessels of wood and clay. How can we be meet for the master’s use when we procrastinate and rationalize?

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables 2Tim 4:2-4

If we are drawn away this is how it will be done.

The same youthful lusts we crafted will lead us to find those who can rationalize and lie to us in a way that makes us comfortable.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" 6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips,Buttheir heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men — the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." 9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Mk. 7:5-10

God wants us to accept our responsibilities freely and admit our weaknesses when we seek to evade.

This is what the good and honest heart is going to do.

“The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat,”

“the woman you gave me” Gen. 3:13

Aaron told Moses “I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out” Ex 32:24

I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering. 1Sam 13:12

“I utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, 1Sam 15:20-21

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17

No youthful lust can remove this. Men try and believe they have done it, but in the end God knows all.

The vast number of conflicting doctrines on salvation, worship, and morality are not a sign the Bible is not clear in its commands and instructions. Instead it is an obvious indication that many are seeking to evade responsibility by willful misunderstanding.

Can we really say Paul was not clear when he said, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” (1Tim. 2:12-13). Although many reasons have been set forth to nullify these words and rewrite them to our own liking, The instructions themselves are not the problem.

When we don’t want to do what has been commanded or seek to do what is forbidden, we don’t say “I won’t do it!” to God. But we will say, “I just couldn’t understand it,” “what you said just wasn’t clear enough.” Or even, the obviously false proverb in every other realm but religion: “it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.”